David Winston

A man was charged with child endangerment after his girlfriend's 11-year-old son found a handgun and fatally shot himself at their St. Louis home, authorities said. Tracy T. Smith, 34, was held without bail Friday on charges of endangering the welfare of a child, resulting in death, and stealing a firearm. The boy who died, 11-year-old David Winston, shot himself in the head about 11:30 a.m. Thursday in an upstairs bedroom at the home at 3123 Brantner Place. Officers rushed David to a hospital, where he died, according to a police report. Police said the shooting appears to have been accidental. Smith told police he kept the .38-caliber revolver in a purse on the top shelf in his bedroom, according to court documents. Smith did not have a gun safe or a gun lock for the revolver, police said. Smith was dating David's mother and living at the home with them on Brantner. According to police, Smith and the boy's mother told officers the child had autism and, when not supervised, would get into things, take items and frequently watch TV in the room where the gun was apparently kept. About two hours after the shooting Thursday, Smith arrived at the scene and was arrested by police without incident. Detectives with the Police Department's Child Abuse Unit handled the shooting investigation. Smith told police he bought the handgun from a man on the street on the city's west side. Police said the gun had been stolen in Bridgeton.